variants
or counter-attacks
as in attacks
an attack made to counter an enemy's attack
suddenly the tide of battle turned, and the rebels, who had been falling back, made a furious counterattack
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Recent Examples of counterattacks
Ukraine has sought to derail the Kremlin’s plans by launching counterattacks in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, where Russian forces have sought to carve out bridgeheads with an aim to advance toward the regional capitals, which are key industrial hubs.
—
ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
Our Middle East allies and embassies are bearing the brunt of counterattacks.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026
Zelensky said late Monday that counterattacks by Ukrainian forces at eastern and southern points along the front line have wrecked Moscow’s plans for a March offensive.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Swift and punishing counterattacks.
—Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 15 Mar. 2026
More than a dozen people across several Middle Eastern nations have died in Iranian counterattacks, including at least 10 civilians in Israel.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026
The American-Israeli military campaign set off a series of attacks and counterattacks that have hit or threatened several Gulf nations.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 7 Mar. 2026
Iran’s counterattacks have targeted not just Israel, but also the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, and Lebanon, among others.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
The militias have sustained casualties in counterattacks.
—Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2026
ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
Our Middle East allies and embassies are bearing the brunt of counterattacks.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026
Zelensky said late Monday that counterattacks by Ukrainian forces at eastern and southern points along the front line have wrecked Moscow’s plans for a March offensive.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Swift and punishing counterattacks.
—Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 15 Mar. 2026
More than a dozen people across several Middle Eastern nations have died in Iranian counterattacks, including at least 10 civilians in Israel.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026
The American-Israeli military campaign set off a series of attacks and counterattacks that have hit or threatened several Gulf nations.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 7 Mar. 2026
Iran’s counterattacks have targeted not just Israel, but also the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, and Lebanon, among others.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
The militias have sustained casualties in counterattacks.
—Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterattacks
Noun
-
Ukraine has launched drone attacks at Russia, although on a smaller scale.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The move came after a series of Iranian attacks on other troops at British, French and Italian bases in northern Iraq.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Russia still controls roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, while Kyiv has recently clawed back limited ground in counteroffensives.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Dynamic shifts on the battlefield — with large swaths of Ukrainian land changing hands in offensives and counteroffensives in the early years of the war — have since given way to a conflict of inches.—
Joanna Kakissis,
NPR,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
When asked about the Tribune analysis, the CTA suggested that compared with some other cities, Chicago has more aggressive policies on when to transport someone to the hospital, which could lead to more assaults reported.—
Talia Soglin,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
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These are just a few of the daily roll calls of assaults on Jewish institutions.—
Joshua M. Davidson,
New York Daily News,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The attacks and counterstrikes, combined with Iran’s ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, sent oil and natural gas prices soaring on global markets.—
Peter Weber,
TheWeek,
19 Mar. 2026
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In the meantime, Iran has launched counterstrikes on neighboring countries.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Counterattacks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterattacks. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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